It turns out that Zayn Malik actually did send a screenshot asking to help pay for the surgery of a cat whose tragic circumstances have since gone viral. A fan account that Zayn follows on Twitter had signal-boosted the first Instagram Melanie posted of her pet Nino, and Zayn reached out to them asking how he could help. And now a name listed as "Zayn Malik" appears on the GoFundMe for Nino, to the tune of $5000. While it's hard to verify the donation's source, it means that now over $23,000 will go to help Nino recover fully.

Update, Thursday, June 30, 12:20 AM

Melanie has since reached out to Teen Vogue to clarify that Zayn never contacted her, and that she would prefer the focus at this time to be on Nino. It's unclear as to where the screenshot came from, but it's an important reminder that even the most well-meaning images can easily be faked.

Previously: Zayn Malik's love of animals is well documented. The singer and former member of One Direction has multiple photos cuddling up to dogs on his Instagram, and of course, there are all the images on Gigi Hadid's social media of her boyfriend cuddling with kittens and the like. (And you thought he couldn't get any cuter? Just add a tiny pet!) But this random act of kindness toward a fan's pet might take his nature as an animal lover to a new level.

According to Twitter screenshots, Zayn contacted a fan named Melanie whose pet cat Nino was attacked by her sister's roommate. (She's since posted the police write-up detailing the report of animal cruelty on Instagram.) He asked her for details of paying for Nino's surgery, and a GoFundMe set up for the veterinary bills has more than passed its goal. Fans have also commented on Melanie's Instagram about Zayn's act of good will, and while Zayn hasn't confirmed himself if he helped pay for Nino's surgery, the extra donations by his fans will hopefully help the cat recover fully.